Devilish Angel
by Paradoxismminant
Summary: Major spoilers first chapter. The memory of love will survive. Benkei and Yoshitsune
1. Chapter 1

**Unbeta'd, so please let me know if anything's wrong…**

**SPOILER WARNING:** I don't remember what chapter it is specifically, but anyways…there's _quite_ a bit of spoilers (at least this first chapter…not sure about the others yet). Won't say specifically, because that'd just make it more obvious. If you know, you know. If not…what you don't know you know won't hurt you. Usually.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Airgear.

* * *

"Benkei-san! Shit, that's a lot of blood!"

"That's okay. I've always had a lot of blood. If I don't lose a bit of blood, the blood vessels in my head would burst and I would die." Benkei laid the back of her head against the wall of the shower stall. She could hear the kids outside, still talking about her. Looking down at the yellowed tiled floor, she watched blood go down the drain in diluted sanguine swirls. The hot water stung her wounds in a satisfyingly painful manner, and she tipped her head back, closing her eyes.

"_Benkei, I can't take this anymore. Even if I endure through this, they're gonna come for me again and again. I'm sorry for putting you through all of this," he said, looking at her over his shoulder. The cut under his eye seeped a bloody tear. "Dinner is on me later…how does a meat feast sound?"_

Boss…_ thought Benkei, eyes widening in sorrowful epiphany as she swung back and forth, leg crushed in the machine's grip. "This is the end" was what Yoshitsune was saying._

_She pulled out the blade within her staff with a series of heavy click-shanks. She breathed in the familiar scents of home, battle, and hot metal. "Hey…doesn't sound too bad. As the Trident's last meal, it's perfect."_ My leg is ruined anyway_, she thought resolutely. Gritting her teeth, she swung the blade in an upwards arc, slicing cleanly through her thigh. She was silently glad the blade was sharp enough to go fairly easily through the flesh and bone as it emerged in a gory rainbow on the other side. "Ugh!" she hissed. The assassin mocked her sacrifice—and those of everyone else in Osaka— with his cold voice, so sure of the destruction of their home. She glanced quickly behind her, calculating mentally. _

It's chasing from behind…meat—eat? Ninukuuka...twenty-nine. Nine…Ah—down the direction of 9 o'clock at 29 degrees… *

_The pieces clicked into place, and she struck. The robotic claw whipped around, missing her and striking the assassin across the face, splintering bone and the weapons his Road was built from._

_The idiot with the glasses and stupid outfit, videogame in hand (who was apparently controlling those giagantic robots…Where'd he think he was? In an anime or something?) yelled something about being far too superior to fall into such a trap._

"_Uh, it's not really a trap," said Benkei, winking at him (or was she wincing in pain?). "I'm not losing a lot of blood either because I'm a vegetarian. I hate meat!"_

_Suddenly, the assassin raised his head from where it was lying in the broken roof tiles. A piece of one of his blades had pierced straight through his face. Veins bulging out of his face, he ordered geek boy—Percival—to destroy the city._

_Another huge robot appeared, and Yoshitsune was in the air, a tiny mosquito against a gargantuan beast. His Regalia moved in a blur, and the monster exploded with its master on top, immense parts raining down, crushing the assassin._

_He fell then, graceful as a cherry blossom, looking at the sky as his body hit the debris. "So it seems my body couldn't take it…" he mused tiredly._

_And there was the devil with his angel's wings. Nike. "No!" screamed Benkei, fighting through the debris. Yoshitsune watched her from the corner of his eye_

"_You never change," said Nike. "You're the guy that always thinks ahead."_

_Yoshitsune thought of Tetris. And regretted not being able to see what would come. Blood spurted from behind his teeth, and he looked straight at the world, smiling beautifully. "Well, goodbye," he said, cheerful to the end. Then, the world's second-strongest and gentlest person died, in the exact same way he had lived._

"Boss had a different way of seeing things," said Benkei, the water hitting her face and running into her open eyes. "I think he knew that a day like this would come. Even so, he never let go of his game 'til the end." She slid down the wall and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "The thing he wanted to leave behind was…the strong willpower of the Samurais of the West. And hope…you, Ikki."

She sighed quietly, dressed, and came out, wrapping the stump of her leg. Leaning on her staff, she said to them, "Y'all don't need to cry. Heaven's cryin' in your place…" Ikki hopped up abruptly, and ran off. Kazu left as well, though he did it much more quietly.

"The boss…I think he really knew everything beforehand." Benkei lowered her eyes, and wondered what Yoshitsune would say.

She sighed. "Sorry to leave y'all here…but I think I need t'do a little mournin' for myself…"

Hobbling off with her staff as a crutch, she threw a leg over her motorcycle. Raising a hand in the air, she started the engine. "Well, 'm off now," she said casually, and left.

She wasn't sure where she was going, exactly, she just knew she wanted to go somewhere far away. She just wanted the wind whipping through her hair, the road before and behind her pretending to last forever. No worries, no memories of Yoshitsune, the Trident, those final, heartwrenching moments when he fell, blood spraying in an arc and coloring the burning city in a another splash of red.

_------------_

*This is a pun. "Niku" can mean "meat", and "kuuka" can be "eat", so basically, it sounds like "eating meat" or something similar. However, "niku" refers to 29, and "kuuka" means "nine down" in this case. So it's basically a coded message, and also why Benkei says that she doesn't eat meat. She's explaining that it was a ruse.

The chapters in which this story's spoilers are from made me so sad, I almost cried. It was executed beautifully, and it's just incredibly heart-wrenching. Yeah…but anyway, this just kind of lets you know the basis for the story.

Sorry for those who are waiting for an update on Tickle Torture…this one just sort of popped into my head, and I wanted to write it down before it ran away…


	2. Chapter 2: First Meeting Place

I don't own AirGear, needless to say. Karasu's Arcade, Bar, and Restaurant and Karasu himself are my own creations, however. Perhaps one day you'll see them somewhere else. One can only hope (smile). Oh, and as far as drinks go, I wouldn't know. I don't drink. So all drinks heard in here are random and I have no idea what they would look/taste like. Though I might know the ingredients...

The motorcycle rumbled to a stop in front of a slightly run-down brick building hiding between two much brighter, shinier attractions. As usual, the small parking lot was quite full (contrary to first appearances), making her thankful for having an easily parkable vehicle. Killing the motor, she swung a leg over the side. The sensation felt odd, and she paused a moment. _Shouldn't be that light—_"Oh…" she whispered, remembering. Clenching her jaw, she fixed her eyes determinedly on the bright red neon sign with its steady light and snazzy characters that declared it to be "Karasu's Arcade, Bar, and Restaurant". Standing to one side of the bike, she pulled out her staff and pushed the kickstand into place, then limped into the building.

A man in a red button-down shirt and a paisley bandana of the same color looked up from his glass-polishing at the door. He smiled, recognizing Benkei's leopard print-and-bikini style, her face, and (of course) her unforgettable bust. "Hey, Benkei-baby. Long time no see," he greeted. She smiled tiredly back at him. "Hey, Karasu. Got some room for me tonight?"

"Yeah, definitely," he replied at once. Something seemed off, and he gave her a double take. "What's wrong with you?"

Benkei glanced down a moment, then sat herself down at the bar. Propping her head up on one hand, she sighed and asked for a Cloudy Spring, on the rocks.

"On the house," replied Karasu, taking out a heavy glass and dropping a few ice cubes in the bottom. He poured thick Irish cream into it, adding a splash of vodka that pooled in the middle, wisps of cream swirling within the clear puddle. He plunked the glass in front of Benkei, who promptly tipped her head back and drank the whole thing down, crunching the ice. "You know, I'll never understand how you can drink something like that on the ice…and all in one go, too," he said admiringly.

She slammed the now-empty glass onto the table. "Ah…"she sighed. "Well, I just happen t' like it that way…"

He grinned, then stopped. A concerned look found its way onto his face. "You still haven't told me what's wrong. We're old friends…" And then Karasu trailed off. "Did you and Yoshitsune split? The gang okay?"

Benkei looked up into his stubbly, concerned, _familiar_ face, starting to get a few wrinkles and now sagging with presumed dread. She felt tears starting to swell behind her eyes. "Boss is dead, Karasu…and so are most of the Trident. Naw, scratch that. I think they're all gone. Y'know that huge fire at home? Someone came after us, and…" She swiped a hand over face and sighed again. "You know how it is..."

The old man's face sagged further. "Damn, Benkei, I'm sorry…"

She shook her head. "You ain't got to apologize, Karasu. You had nothing to do with it. Standing abruptly, she said, "Anyways, sorry t' leave you so quickly, but I've been ridin' all day and I need some shuteye." She stood and brushed passed him, walked behind the bar. He looked after her, worry creasing his brow. Someone yelled, "Bartender, get me a Jack Daniel on the rocks!" from behind him.

He turned, glanced back once, and went back to the bar. There were customers to serve. They could talk later, but knowing Benkei's personality, he wasn't going to learn much with her in this kind of mood.

In the spare bedroom, Benkei stripped, throwing the clothes onto a chair and collapsing into bed. She curled up, pulling the blankets up to her chin, and stared into the dark room.

_A young, voluptuous girl with delicate features sat down at the empty bar. She propped her forehead up with one hand, and sighed. Waving at the stubbly bartender, she asked for something creamy and sweet, but cold and strong, too exhausted to think about whether that was even possible. She laid her head down upon the wooden surface, worn smooth and softly lustrous with many years of use. The bartender frowned at her. "I'm sorry, miss, but I don't think you're old enough to drink," he said softly. At her dejectedness, he relented a little. "I'll see what I can do for you," he sighed, and proceeded to create the very first Cloudy Spring, on the rocks. She thanked him, gulping it down, before putting her head back down on the bar._

_There was the sound of a chair sliding out next to her, and someone sat down. "Hey there, precious. What stupid son of a bitch left you here all alone 'n sad?"_

_She straightened up and turned to look at the person sitting next to her. It was a thin man with pale hair combed back smoothly, although a cowlick stood up on either side of his head. He was dressed casually, with glasses and a leer. She narrowed her eyes. "Fuck off," she spat, turning away and putting her head back down. _

"_Oh, come on, sweetie, don't be so cold," he said, ignoring her spite and daringly brushing her shoulder with his hand. She whipped her head around. "I said _fuck off_," she growled. "You _don't_ want to fuck with me right now."_

_He opened his mouth to say "Are you kidding? I'd love t' fuck with you", but thought better of it. Instead, he said, in a much less perverted and much gentler voice, "What wrong?"_

"_Look, I don't want to talk about it," she said, voice harsh._

"_Well, I hate to see someone as beautiful as you sittin' here all sad," he replied, grinning again._

_She tched. "Yeah, right. What good is being beautiful if all that it gets you is beaten all the time?"_

_He blinked. "What stupid bastard beat you?"_

_She snorted. "My daddy thought it'd be funny seeing his daughter all bruised. Especially after he molested her."_

_The stranger blinked again. "I'm guessin' that you ran off, and don't have anywhere to stay now."_

_She sneered at him. "Yeah, and so what? I'll…find a way."_

_He sneered back her. "And how exactly will you do that? By letting random strangers on the road do what you didn't let your daddy to do?"_

"_Fuck you, you don't know anything," she spat._

"_Nope," he agreed cheerfully. "Not even your name. I'm Yoshitsune, by the way. I got space in my apartment, if you're interested."_

"_I don't even know you," she said irritably. "Why would I stay with some…random guy, like you said?"_

"_You got money?"_

_She looked down. "…no."_

"_I thought so," said Yoshitsune, smiling. He stood up, and inclined his head towards the door. "Come on, let's go."_

_She slid off the chair reluctantly, walking out with him. "Um…I'm Benkei."_

_He smiled again, and kept walking through the parking lot._

_They arrived at his apartment, where he slammed his shoulder into the door hard, popping it open. By way of explanation, he said that the key lock was broken and the door always got stuck. He flicked the lights, revealing a slightly messy, small apartment with only a pile of blankets and some cushions, as well as a table and chairs for furniture. "It ain't much, but it's home," said Yoshitsune. "I…see," said Benkei slowly, entering after him._

_She woke up on the floor, curled up inside a roll of rumpled pale blue sheets. She blinked blearily, confused as to where she was, then looked around at the unfamiliar setting, breathing in the unfamiliar, completely masculine scent of the apartment. Her head was hurting slightly, from the alcohol last night, she surmised. As she untangled herself and got up, she heard a soft breathing noise behind her. Looking back, she remembered. It was the owner of the apartment—Yoshitsune, wasn't it? Yeah._

"…_So you're awake, beautiful," said Yoshitsune, grinning that perverted-looking grin at her._

"_Uh…yeah," said Benkei, feeling a bit awkward. She'd run away from home, got into the serious booze (underage, at that, not that she cared), and shacked up with some guy (whose name she barely even knew) in some little apartment. She had no idea where she was and no idea what she was going to do. Unless she went into prostitution, which was basically not an option. In her mind, Benkei shuddered at the thought of all those strange men putting their grimy hands all over her, groping and desecrating her body._

_Definitely not even to be considered. "So…" she began, not sure of what she was about to suggest, but not sure if she really had any other choice. "Um…could I…y' know, stay here? I mean," she said, rushing a little, hands fisting at her sides in nervousness. "I could clean and um…yeah…"_

_Yoshitsune's face lit up. "You'd clean? Really?"_

_She nodded._

"_YES! I hate cleaning!"_

_She stood there, trying not to laugh at his enthusiasm._


End file.
